SOC 27-1011 · Winston-Salem, NC metro

Art Directors Salary in Winston-Salem, NC

The average salary for art directors in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is $90,800 a year ($43.66 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $84,100: half of the 90 people in this job in the Winston-Salem, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 30% less than the U.S. average for this job ($129,440).

$90,800average per year

$43.66 / hourMedian $84,100Take-home ≈ $69,594

  • $73K10th
  • $84K25th
  • $84KMedian
  • $84K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

90people in this job
-30%vs U.S. average
#6 of 7North Carolina metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Art Directors pay range in Winston-Salem

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $72,620 a year or less, while the top 10% make $125,490 or more. The middle half of art directors in Winston-Salem earn between $84,100 and $84,100.

  • $73K10th
  • $84K25th
  • $84KMedian
  • $84K75th
  • $125K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$90,800$7,567$43.65
Median$84,100$7,008$40.43
Entry level (25th percentile)$84,100$7,008$40.43
Experienced (75th percentile)$84,100$7,008$40.43

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Art Directors pay in Winston-Salem vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Art directors in Winston-Salem earn 5% less than the North Carolina average ($95,460) and 30% less than the U.S. average ($129,440). At the median the gap is -27% against the U.S. median of $114,850.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Winston-Salem$90,800$84,100$72,620$125,49090
North Carolina$95,460$90,000$56,460$142,740n/a
United States$129,440$114,850$64,900$213,05053,070

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Art Directors salary after taxes in Winston-Salem

On the average salary of $90,800, a single filer in Winston-Salem takes home about $69,594 a year, or $5,799 a month and $2,677 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Winston-Salem a good place for art directors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Winston-Salem area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.0), so the average $90,800 buys what about $98,650 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Winston-Salem ($46,380). A typical home costs $283,871, or 3.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $90,800 is worth in another city

Art Directors salary in other North Carolina cities

Winston-Salem ranks 6th of 7 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Raleigh pays the most ($113,550).

All Art Directors salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for art directors

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($182,620).

Art Directors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Art Directors in Winston-Salem, NC.

Art Directors salary in Winston-Salem: questions

How much do art directors make an hour in Winston-Salem?

$43.66 an hour on average, and $40.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level art directors salary in Winston-Salem?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $72,620 a year and the 25th percentile is $84,100, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the art directors take-home pay in Winston-Salem?

About $69,594 a year ($5,799 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $90,800.

Do art directors earn more in Winston-Salem than elsewhere?

The average here is 30% less than the U.S. average for this job ($129,440).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-1011; area Winston-Salem, NC (49180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.95, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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